77 of Poitiers, and so it was named franc, which means free. In the French Revolution, it became the national currency of the country. The franc passed away at nearly 642 years old in 2002, when Europeans joined the euro. FOREIGN COINS Note: Check out the main currencies of the collection in the Portuguese version. Except for Antarctica, all continents are represented in the numismatic collection of Santander Cultural. DIVERSITY In Brazil, most coins have a rounded shape. Around the world, though, the variety is immense. Check out some of the examples in the Santander Cultural collection in the following pages. Pg. 25 THE OLDEST FromEgypt – a transcontinental country that divides its territory between Africa and Asia - comes the oldest coin of the collection, dating back between the years 283 and 285 AD. Pg. 26 Mozambique was a Portuguese colony until 1975. The Central Bank of West African States (BCEO) serves eight West African countries, members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The currency in the region is the CFA Franc. British East Africa was a protectorate of the United Kingdom for two periods: from 1821 to 1850 and from 1866 to 1888. Even after the protectorate was dissolved, the BritishWest African pound remained in circulation until the 1960s. Pg. 26 The sun circulated in Bolivia between 1827 and 1864. Pg. 29 The Argentine peso has gone through different phases throughout the history of the country. from 1826 to 1881, circulated the so-called strong peso and currency peso; from 1881 to 1970, national currency peso; peso ley, from 1970 to 1983; Argentine peso, from 1983 to 1985; austral peso, from 1985 to 1991; and, since 1992, the current convertible peso. Pg. 31 In addition to being the current monetary system, the sol was also the currency of Peru between 1863 and 1985. The real was the currency of Paraguay until 1856, being replaced by the peso. The British territories overseas are 14 territories that are under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom. They are: Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helen, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands; and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Monetary systems vary between territories. The British East Indies dollar, which circulated in some of them - while still part of the Federation of the East Indies - was replaced by the Eastern Caribbean dollar in 1983. Pg. 32 Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. The ghirsh was the monetary standard of Saudi Arabia until the 1960s. Pg. 34 In 1960, Israel abolished the pruta and changed the subdivisions of the pound (also called the Israeli lira) to one hundred agorot. The last 1-pound coins were minted in 1985. Pg. 35 In Brazil, when we think of money, we usually imagine a rounded piece with a flat edge. In other countries, though, as in India, we see different formats. It is common to see coins in the shape of a flower or using other geometric shapes, such as the square. In this coin of 10 piastres, the year is coined in Arabic numerals (reverse) and Roman numerals (obverse). Pg. 36 After the First World War, the republic settled in Germany became known as the Weimar Republic, which lasted until the beginning of the Nazi regime in 1933. Since 2002, the euro is the official currency used in Germany. The shilling was the currency of Austria between 1925 and 1938 and from 1945 to 1999. Pg. 37 The peseta was the currency of Spain between 1869 and 2002 until it was replaced by the euro. The currency honors La Rioja, a Spanish autonomous community and the main wine region of the country. Pg. 38 The currency honors the Balearic Islands, a Spanish archipelago. Pg. 39 In 1971, the United Kingdom adopted the decimal system, and the sterling pound was then divided into 100 pence. Before that, the amounts were divided into pounds, shillings and pence. Proposals for decimalization had already been made, but it wasn’t until 1848 that the first decimal currency of the United Kingdom, the guilder, came to be worth one tenth of a pound sterling. Pg. 42 The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics existed between 1922 and 1991 in Eurasia under the Communist Party government. The region was composed of 15 republics which, after dissolution, would originate independent countries Pg. 43 The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. THE COLLECTION TELLS THE MONETARY HISTORY OF BRAZIL Note: Check out the main currencies of the collection in the Portuguese version. The first commercial transaction in Brazil took place minutes after the Portuguese arrived in the country on April 22, 1500. They offered the present Indians a red beret, a linen cap, and